Citation troubles

While doing my literature review for another course’s assignment, I came into a good reference in a journal article and decided to search for the original source. When I finally found it, the statement that interested me turned out to be just a passing comment, totally unsupported. Even worse: the paper in question had very little to do with the subject. What do you make of that? Is it better to cite something that shallow or just treat the information as common sense (which I think it was)?

I think I’ve been having trouble with the whole citation issue because I often know something from experience and cannot use it. I even had a T.A. write the following comment on an assignment: “How do you know that? It is true, but what are your sources?” After that I’ve started citing personal communications and even articles in which I have been interviewed and gave the answers I need to cite, but many times I just write what I know to be true and then try to find some reference that says the same thing. The “look inside” search feature in many Amazon.com book listings is great for that, although I fear taking things out of their context, as did the author of the article I’ve mentioned above.